At Edible HQs coast to coast we’ve been drawing inspiration from each other. With time on our hands to explore other regional and national culinary traditions comes this:
Recipes for Home: An Edible Communities Cookbook. Find our cookbook at EdibleCommunities.com/edible-cookbook; and enjoy a sample below.
Instructions
FLAT FREEZE
- Blanch. Blanching kills things that mold or degrade leaves, helping keep the bright green color when frozen. Here’s how:
- Dip basil in boiling water until just wilted—no more!
- Go immediately from the boiling water to an ice bath to stop the heating.
- After blanching, pat leaves dry and cut them from the stems.
- Lay in a single layer inside a sealable freezer bag and place in freezer. When winter blues hit, pop open bag, break off a chunk, add to food and feel the warm summer love in your heart.
FREEZE IN OIL
- Stem herbs and use whole leaves or chop them into pieces.
- Place herbs into cube trays. Don’t fill more than ¾ of each cube with herbs; ⅔ full is a nice amount.
- Pour your choice of olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil into each cube until you see the herb/oil ratio you want to achieve.
- Place the cube tray into the freezer until your nuggets of herbaceous goodness are completely frozen (probably overnight).
- Pop the frozen cubes out of the tray and store in a sealable freezer bag for future use.
DRY
- Tie bundles of heartier herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender) at the stems and hang them in a dry, warm place away from sunlight.
- Drying can take one to four weeks. When dry, simply pack the herbs loosely in a storage bag and store them in that cool, dry spot … you know, the one in your rustic Provençe kitchen. These herbs can last up to a year.
About this recipe
Courtesy of Edible Indy. Recipe by Mary McClung & Jennifer L. Rubenstein.
